Single Speed Bike 7 Reasons Why It Should Be Your Next Bike

This entry was posted on December 4, 2016 by rdb.

If you’re in the market for a new bike and have never bought a single speed bike before or are just looking for compelling reasons as to why your hard earned dollars should go toward a single speed bike over a traditional multi-geared bike, then this blog post is for you.

After reading this article, we’re confident you’ll be equipped with adequate information on the advantages a single speed bike provides to make an informed decision on whether your next bike should be a single speed or a multi-geared bike.

So without further ado, let’s dive right in!

A single speed bike gives you more bike for less money

Thanks to the simplistic and minimalistic nature of a single speed bike, manufacturers are able to produce these bikes with better quality components for lower costs. This means that customers in the market for a single speed bike will likely end up getting more value for money (potentially – not always due to the increase in value being dependent on models).

More specifically, on a single speed bike there is no derailleurs, cables, shifters, and so forth to bring up the cost of the bike. What this translates into for you (the informed customer) is a bike that costs less money but has better quality than its multi-geared counterparts.

In other words, your single speed bike will most likely cost a few hundred dollars less than a road bike if they are the same quality.

A bike that we believe really stands out with regards to quality and price is the State Bicycle 4130 Core Line which comes in at $449 (check out the link provided to see current promotions).

State Bicycle Co. Core Line

These cost savings have made single speed bikes or a “single speed” a very popular option amongst college students and other money-conscious buyers.

And, even if you’re not on a budget, we would recommend taking a look at a single speed bike if it fits your needs.

Speaking of saving money this brings us to our next point – cheap maintenance. Maintenance is a lot cheaper because (I’m sure you know by now) there’s just a lot less parts on a single speed bike. Best of all, you won’t be dealing with clogged up gears, gear servicing fees, no chain slap/frame chips, no cable stress and so on.

Cheaper and less timing consuming maintenance

Maintenance of a bike and maintenance fees often times slip the minds of buyers. And, being caught off guard with a bunch of maintenance fees is the last thing anyone wants to deal with.

Regardless of what bike you buy there will be maintenance required, that’s pretty much a given. However, there is a lot less maintenance required for a single speed bike then there is for a traditional multi-geared road bike.

In essence, the same factors that help make the single speed bikes cheaper than road bikes (lack of parts) is the same thing that makes it cheaper to maintain. The lack of components on these bikes really do provide the consumer with numerous benefits.

Additionally, this ties into the practicality of a single speed bike. Particularly because of our daily lives getting busier and busier that it makes spending time on things such as repairs and maintenance that much more painful. We want to simplify things as much as we can so we can have time to really do the things we like.

Thanks to the way a single speed bike is made its likely to last you a much longer time than a traditional road bike with equal components.

Some single speed bikes even come with lifetime warranties on their frames, and these bikes aren’t $1,000 + bikes where such a warranty is expected due to the price you’re paying. Bikes like the 6KU fixie that currently retails for $229 comes with a warranty on the frame that lasts the lifetime of the owner and a year warranty on every component. The bike is manufactured in California, so the company is confident in their quality control and as a result, is able to offer the customer with warranties that reflect that confidence.

6KU Fixed Gear Bike

Single Speed Bikes are easier to carry, store, and ride

Single speed bikes “lack” of weight (thanks again to the lack of parts) makes the bike naturally lighter than its multi-geared counterparts. This will not only positively affect your ride; thanks to the lack of weight making it easier to accelerate, but it will make it easier to carry and store.

This is particularly important for those that live in urban cities because space can be a bit tight and storing your bike in your apartment often requires some lifting.

I (Anthony) know personally it makes my life a whole lot easier when my bikes light. Carrying up a really heavy bike up a bunch of stairs gets old real fast… If you’re like me you’re probably thinking this is an easy way to supplement your daily bike ride with an additional workout... Trust me I’ve taken that route and I’m going to conclude that carrying a heavy bike everyday is probably not the best idea for me personally.

Storing your bike is naturally going to be much easier as well thanks to the bike being easier to manipulate because of its lightness.

If you’re looking for a single speed bike that’s made for the urban city (that can also be used on a track) and is made with a double butted aluminum frame (for lightness and durability), I’d say check out the 6KU Urban Track.

The 6KU Urban Track literally incorporates all of the elements that we’ve just talked about in this point. It’s light, easy to carry, store and ride (it’s fast). And, this is obviously subjective, but I think it has an “urban” look to it too, well it has the name urban, so I suppose it’s just representing its name.

6KU Urban Track Bike

It’s practical for year-round riding

For a lot of us our daily transportation is a bike. And for those of us who are lucky enough to live in areas where winter doesn’t really hit too hard, they got nothing to worry about.

But for the rest of us, winter can be a pain especially when we rely on our bikes to get to school or work.

Thankfully single speed bikes off-set that a little bit. A single speed bike doesn’t have as many parts that are susceptible to snow, sand, and salt that we experience in winter time. Often times, when you ride a multi-geared bike in the winter your parts get all clogged up and dirty particularly the derailleur which either stops them from operating optimally or working entirely.

The lack of parts for a single speed makes it easier to clean even if you they do happen to get dirty, and the likelihood of something breaking is far less as well.

So if you’re a rider who wants to ride through weather condition like snow, then a single speed or "fixie" bike is the most practical option by far.

Fitness

Riding a bike to school or work can be an extremely efficient workout. You’re getting to your destination while getting your body active, and in today’s world as we’re becoming increasingly sedentary any good reason to get ourselves active is welcomed.

I’ve also found that the less I work out the less I want to work out over time, so riding a bike really helps with that. I mean you’re somewhat forced into the workout everyday anyways if you use it as a daily transport. Sure you can feel like not wanting to work out (ride your bike to work or school), but the choice becomes going to work or school and riding your bike, or staying home… And, I’m pretty sure most people will take the former option and not the latter. Taking the latter would mean potentially getting worse grades or getting behind at work which to most people probably isn’t the most attractive option.

Single speed bikes also help in this segment because you don’t have various gears that you can just change around on your bike to make your ride easier. This applies more so towards hilly areas and of course if it’s too hilly a single speed might be unpractical, but in general, it will definitely provide you with a better workout.

Single speed bikes and multi-geared bikes operate somewhat the same on flat roads though, perhaps single speeds being a little easier thanks to them being slightly lighter.

Looks

Single speed bikes, i.e., fixie bikes have (generally I’ve found) more variety in the types of styles available for the consumer.

The minimalistic nature allows single speed bike manufacturers to create bikes that have (not always of course) a better design language than its road bike counterparts.

I think this segment would be best explained with the pictures of the bikes themselves.

Note: Now looks are as usual subjective, and fixie bikes don’t always look better than its road bike counterparts, but it’s a look that definitely appeals to us and may appeal to you too! Take a look

State Bicycle 4130 Core Line - The Ranger

State Bicycle 4130 Core Line - Bel-Aire 2.0

6KU Fixie - Barcelona

Simplicity

Throughout the article, we’ve reiterated numerous points about what someone might find appealing about a single speed bike. And, really want all these points are pointing to if someone was to sum it all up is simplicity.

Single speed bikes are simple and easy to use. They’re a bike in its most minimalistic form, and one just has to hop on and go.

It’s a reliable choice for riders today, and we hope these reasons have provided you with a bit of insight on to why someone might be interested in a single speed bike.

If you're in the market for a cheap fixie and want to take a quick look at some cheap fixies in the

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